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Just Say Nu
by Michael Wex
"Just Say Nu" is a humorous romp by author Michael Wex, which carefully straddles the line between autobiography and entertainment. The funny and reflective book offers the readers a fun insight into the nuanced and delightful Yiddish language.
Yiddish is an ancient language spoken by the Ashkenazi Jews of Europe. A mixture of German and Hebrew, Yiddish, though it has been called a dying language, has recently enjoyed a sudden resurgence in popularity. "Just Say Nu" is quite user-friendly and appears to operate on the assumption that though many of the readers will be familiar with Yiddish on some level, most will not have a working knowledge of it. The book offers humorous insights into the language, its history and the way in which it was forged and survived through the most trying of times. With a sense of impish glee, author Michael Wex takes his readers on a crash-course through some of more colorful parts of the Yiddish language. Of course, ironic sentiments, funny compliments and nuanced statements take center stage, as Wex shares his own intimate love for language with those along for the ride.
Some of the language lesson highlights include a section titled "Ironic attribution of intelligence," which explains the phrase "khookhem beleileh," (spelled out as it would sound in English, as Yiddish is not written in English characters), which translates as "sage at night," or "smart when nobody's looking."
Wex shares more dry humor with other sections such as the one titled "Disparagement," where he explains that "uttered in the proper tone of voice, virtually any phrase in this book can be turned into an insult." Wex introduces the Yiddish language, while also stopping to explain some of the pertinent history and reasoning and illusions behind certain well-known phrases.
"Just Say Nu" is a fun, informative and humorous book which is sure to delight those both familiar and unfamiliar with the delightful Yiddish language.
Title: Just Say Nu
Author: Michael Wex
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780061657320
Review written by: Susie Kopecky
Reviewer's Rating:8
Reader's Rating: 0
Reader's Votes: 0
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